Norma's Chili

This is a fabulous chili recipe that I adapted from a family friend in Long Beach, California.  I reduced the amount of beans and increased the veggies.  Feel free to play around with the kids of beans and add more veggies like zucchini or spinach.

Ingredients:

2lbs lean ground beef                      6.36
2 Large cans crushed tomatoes     1.86
1 can butter beans                             .97
1 can light red kidney beans            .66
medium onion--chopped                  .40
green pepper--chopped                    .50
3 celery stalks--chopped                  .25
2 carrots--peeled and grated           .20
2 garlic cloves--minced                     .10
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin

Directions: 

In a medium pan brown the ground beef and drain off any grease.  Drain the beans.  Add the tomatoes, beans, ground beef, veggies, garlic and seasoning to a crock pot.  Mine looked a little thick so I added 1/2 a cup of water.  You can thin yours out with a little tomato sauce.  Stir well. 

Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.  I like to top our chili with sour cream, green onions, cheddar cheese, jalapenos or tortilla chips.  You can use any combination of these topping or none. 

I was able to make 3 meals at $3.77 without the cost of toppings.  With toppings, probably around 5 bucks a meal. 

Yum!  Enjoy!
Christie aka Keeza

Grandma Betty's Bran Muffins

By popular demand....here is Grandma's bran muffin recipe!  I must admit, this is the skinny version.  If you would like to make the original version follow the recipe but pay attention to the parenthesis in the ingredient list. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C Splends's sugar blend for baking
             (or 3 C white sugar)
5 C all purpose flour
5 tsp baking soda
3 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon (omit for original)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (omit for original)

1/2 C unsweetened apple sauce (omit for original)
1/2 C vegetable oil  (1 C oil)
1 C egg beaters (4 eggs beaten)
4 C buttermilk
2 C water

4 C all bran cereal
2 C bran flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix first group of ingredients--sugar through nutmeg-- in a giant mixing bowl with a spoon.  Next mix in the wet ingredients one at a time--applesauce through water--into the dry ingredients with a hand mixer.  If you mix in this order you wont have any clumps of flour in your batter.  Lastly stir in all bran and bran flakes with a spoon.  The batter will start out wet and get thicker the longer it sets.  This is normal and you do not need to thin it out.

The batter will keep well in the fridge, so if you need to run out and pick up the kids, just pop the bowl in the fridge and finish baking when you get back.  Next grease or spray muffin tins to prevent sticking.  Pour batter into muffin tins until they are 3/4 full.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 min or until the tops are golden brown.

Then I run a knife around the outside of each muffin and move them to a plate to cool for an hour. 

Aren't they cute?  Once they've cooled enough to handle I move them to a freezer bag to store.  I put one bag in the fridge and two bags in the freezer.

 These will last for several weeks, maybe even two to three months.  They are great for breakfast or a snack.  We like to cut them in half, microwave them for 10 seconds to warm them and spread them with a little margarine.  They have a great flavor of cinnamon.  Your house will smell like Grandma's come over! 
I did not calculate how much each muffin costs because the thought of calculating 5 tsp baking soda makes my head spin!  But I get 72 muffins (6 dozen) out of this recipe. 

Enjoy!
Christie aka Keeza

Spinach, Artichoke and Chicken Pasta

When I was a little kid growing up in Southern California my whole family would eat artichokes for dinner.  Mom would boil them on the stove and we would sit around the table for what felt like hours peeling back each leaf and dipping them in butter and scraping the soft goodness on our bottom teeth.  Who wouldn't love an artichoke?  I guess my husband doesn't.  I assumed all families steamed artichokes for dinner in the spring, but I guess that wasn't a big tradition here in West Michigan.  When we were first married I made James one for dinner and he said, "What is that?!"  Ha ha ha.  When I make this meal for him I cut the canned artichoke hearts up into small pieces and I tell him it's Spinach and Chicken pasta.  He eats it all up and never complains.  =)

Ingredients:

3 C cooked chicken-chopped      3.84
1 lb penne pasta                            1.00
1 med onion--chopped                  .40
1 clove garlic--minced                    .05
1 box chopped frozen spinach     1.42
      (thawed and drained)
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts        2.42
         (make sure not to get the marinated ones)
3 Tbsp margarine
3 Tbsp flour
2 C skim milk                                 .30
1 1/2 C chicken broth                   .50
4 oz provolone                              1.18
   (shredded is best, all I can find is sliced--which I chop into small pieces)
3 oz shredded Parmesan             .98
S&P and a pinch of nutmeg to taste

Directions:

Heat water in a large pot and cook the penne once the water comes to a boil.  My box recommended 11-13 minutes, so I cooked it to the lowest recommended time.   Meanwhile in another large saucepan heat the margarine, onions and minced garlic over med-low heat.  When onions are soft add the flour and stir well.  Gradually stir in milk and chicken broth to form a slightly thick sauce.  (it should be thinner than gravy)  Add salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg to taste.  Slowly stir in Parmesan and chopped up provolone.  The provolone makes the sauce a little sticky and stringy.  If you like smoother less gooey sauce, then just add more Parmesan and skip the provolone.  I like the provolone because it has a great tang.  Turn the heat to low and stir in drained thawed spinach and the chicken.  To disguise the artichokes, I chop off the end and quarter the remaining layers.

  Stir the sauce really well to incorporate the spinach, artichokes and chicken in the ooey gooey sauce.

Yum!  Doesn't that look like spinach and artichoke dip?  Mmmm  mmmh!  Turn the heat off.  Drain the pasta, and mix the pasta into the sauce untill well incorporated.

See?  You can hardly tell there is artichokes in there!  But this pasta tastes sooooo good.  It's like penne Alfredo and spinach & artichoke dip all mixed together.  I made three pans for $4.03.  One I put in oven to bake for dinner.  The other two went into the freezer for a later date.

Thaw for 1-2 days in the fridge.  Then bake covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. 

Enjoy!
Christie aka Keeza